Vets With PTSD Require More Sedation In Intensive Care Than Other Veterans

Posted on
October 21, 2015

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Researchers at the University of Buffalo recently found that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder who were being treated with mechanical ventilation in intensive care units required greater amounts of sedatives than other veteran patients. Researchers analyzed data from 1,569 patients, collected between 2003 and 2013, in New York’s Veterans Health Administration System.

The study found that veteran patients with post-traumatic stress needed more than half a day of additional sedation with benzodiazepines, three-quarters of a day more treatment with opiates, and a higher average daily dose of propofol than other veterans.

“More than 10 percent of our VA ICU patients suffer from PTSD,” said Dr. Jad Kebbe, a researcher at the University of Buffalo, reports UPI. “Their ICU care should incorporate proper awareness of their PTSD, with particular attention to their sedation regimen.”

The study focused on 160 patients, 87 of whom had post-traumatic stress disorder.